Run and tap connector



April z3, 196s SCHENKER ETA. 3,380,014

RUN AND TAF CONNECTOR Filed'Julyvz?. 196e www INVENTORS Hav/ar .scf/annee United States Patent O 3,380,014 RUN AND TAI CONNECTOR Henry Schenker, Fairfield, and Walter Reischer, Darien, Conn., assignors to Burndy Corporation, a corporation of New York Filed .Iuly 27, 1966, Ser. No. 568,197 11 Claims. (Cl. 339-97) This invention pertains to an improved connector for establishing electrical connections generally between two electrical conductors, and more specifically, for establishing a midspan connection between a transmission line and the end of a service tap line.

An object of this invention is the provision of a connector adapted to establish a direct conductive path between two conductors through a minimum number of interposed conductive elements.

A further object is the provision of a connector of the type described, wherein contact pressure on one conductor is proportionate to the pressure on the other.

A still further object is the provision of such a connector wherein the metal to metal contact interfaces are protected against exposure.

And yet another object of this invention is the provision of a connector of the type described which may be readily adapted to employ insulation-piercing connections, or butting connections, or a combination of the two.

A feature of this invention is the mounting of a unitary contact element on a freely flexible support member interposed between two conductot' supporting and clamping members.

These and other and further objects, features, and advantages of this invention are particularly pointed out and distinctly set forth in the following specification and claims, and are made more apparent by the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE l represents an exploded pictorial view of the principal elements of a connector constructed in accordance with this invention;

FIGURE 2 represents a front vertical section view of a completed connection embodying the connector of FIG- URE l;

FIGURE 3 is a side section view taken in plane 3 3 of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 4 is Ia pictorial representation of an adapter plug which may be used in conjunction with the connector of FIGURE 1 as shown in FIGURE 3.

Referring now to the drawings in more detail, the illustratcd connector l may be seen to comprise generally, a first conductor support member 22, a second conductor support member 30, a double acting contact member 40 disposed between the support members 20 and 30, a body of resilient material 50 for flexibly supporting contact 4l), and threaded bolts 60 for drawing the two support members together to complete a connection.

As may be seen through reference to FIGURES 1, 2 and 3, collectively, bolts 60 pass through apertures 32 in support member 30 and engage an internally threaded plate member 25 which is mounted to support 20.

Thus, as the bolts 60 are threaded into plate 25, support members 20 and 3i) will be drawn together thereby moving upper face 24 and the opposed lower face 34 of members 20 and 30, respectively, toward each other. Spring members, such as resilient washers 62, may be ice interposed between member 30 and the heads 64 of bolts 60 to resiliently bias the two support members toward each other for improving clamping action.

Double acting contact member 40 is provided with a first end portion 42 for contacting a tap conductor (such as is shown at 80) which is supported on member 30, and with a second end portion 44 for contacting a run conductor (such as is shown at which is supported on member 20. Contact 40 is mounted to flexible body 50 within body aperture 52, while body S0 is in turn mounted to the overall connector 10 by capturing bolts 60 within the bolt-receiving apertures 54. Mounting of contact 40 in this manner permits it to be readily exchanged for others having particular shapes and materials for specific applications.

Support member 20 is provided with a run conductor seat portion 26 which may include a plurality of gripping ribs 28 or similar discontinuities for reducing longitudinal slippage between a run conductor 70 and support member 20. Support member 30 is provided with a tap conductor seat portion in the form of bore 36 which is adapted to telescopically receive the bare end of a tap conductor. Bore 36 is transversely intersected by an aperture 38 which provides `access to the bore from support member face 34. End portion 42 of contact member 40 is dimensioned to pass through aperture 38 so as to abut against and contact a tap conductor 82 disposed Within bore 36. End portion 44 on the other hand, is provided with a plurality of linear cutting edges 45 positioned at an angle relative to one another and adapted for cutting through the insulating jacket 74 of a run conductor '70 so as to electrically contact the wire 72 within. Although a butt contact end 42 and a piercing end 44 are illustrated, it is clear that the ends may both have the same configuration, or others entirely, as desired.

In use, a run conductor 70 would be positioned in run conductor seat 26, the end 82 of a tap conductor 80 would be inserted into tap conductor seat portion 36 and bolts 60 would be threaded into plate 2S to advance support member 30 toward support member 20. As the support members are drawn together, one end portion of contact member 40 would first come into contact with the surface of either the run conductor or the tap conductor. Continued relative movement of support members 20, 30 would ultimately bring the opposite ends 42, 44 of contact member 40 into engagement with tap conductor and the run conductor, respectively. At this point, further advance of bolts 60 into threaded plate 25 would forcibly clamp the two conductors into firm electrical contact with the opposite ends of the contact member 40, by compressing the conductors and the contact member together between support members 20, 30. The resilient nature of contact support body 50 would permit substantially free axial movement of contact 40 relative to support faces 24 and 34 during these advance and compression steps so as to effectively equalize contact pressure between the contact end portions 42, 44 and the respective conductors 70, 80. The contact pressure on each conductor may thus be seen to be proportionate to the pressure on the other, with any necessary allowance being made for the resiliency of body 50. In addition to supporting contact 40, resilient body 50 further serves to provide a seal around the area of engagement between contact end portion 44 and run conductor 72. Body 50 acts to seal the contact interface in this area by resiliently deforming around the contact end portion 44 and around the outer surface of run conductor 70 as it is compressed between the run conductor and the lower face 34 of support member 3f). If desired, body member G may be specially shaped particularly for performing this function.

A tap conductor receiving plug 90, shown in FIGURE 4, may be used to provide an effective seal for the bare end -82 of tap conductor Sti and its area of engagement with contact end portion 42. Such a plug may be seen to comprise an essentially hollow body having a first axial portion 92 for telescopically receiving the bare end 82 of a tap conductor, and an axially aligned second axial portion for similarly receiving the insulating jacket 84 of the tap conductor. The first axial portion 92 is provided with an integral closed end subportion 96 in the illustrated embodiment, although other forms of end seal may be used. To complete enclosure of the interior of plug 90, second axial portion 94 is fitted with an end cap means 98 which is adapted to permit the tap conductor insulating jacket 84 to be inserted part way into the plug. This may `be accomplished by forming an aperture 99 in the end surface of cap 98 which will peripherally engage the outer surface of jacket 84, or by any similar, suitable means. If the body of plug 90 is formed of dielectric material, direct electrical engagement between conductor end 82 and contact end portion 42 may be achieved by providing a transverse access aperture 93 in first axial portion 92 of plug 90. Aperture 93 should be aligned with aperture 38 when the plug is fully inserted into bore 36 so as to permit contact end portion 42 to enter the interior of first axial portion 92 for engagement with an inserted conductor. As is shown most clearly in FIGURE 3, the closed end portion 96 of plug 90 may be made to project through and beyond one end of bore 36 to facilitate visual determination of proper insertion. In such case the plug 90 may be formed of transparent or translucent material, or may be provided with a viewing hole to further facilitate visual confirmation that conductor end portion 82 has been fully inserted into the plug body.

This invention has thus been described, but it is desired to be understood that it is not confined to the particular forms or usages shown and described, the same being merely illustrative, and that the invention may be carried out in other ways without departing from the spirit of the invention, and therefore, the right is broadly claimed to employ all equivalent instrumentalities coming within the scope of the appendent claims, and -by means of which objects of this invention are attained and new results accomplished, as it is obvious that the particular embodiments herein shown and described are only some of the many that can be employed to obtain these objects and accomplish these results.

We claim:

1. An electrical connector for coupling a tap conductor to a run conductor, comprising:

a tap conductor support member having a tap conductor seat portion therein, a given face thereon, and an opening extending from said given face into said tap conductor seat portion;

a run conductor support member having a given face thereon disposed substantially opposite the given face of said tap conductor support member, the given face of said run conductor support member having a conductor seat portion thereon;

a double ended contact member of electrically conductive material disposed between the given faces of said support members, said contact member having a first contact end portion adapted to pass through the opening in said tap conductor support member so as to engage a conductor in said tap conductor seat portion, and further having a second contact end portion adapted to electrically engage the conductive surface of a conductor disposed in the seat portion of said run conductor support member;

support means of resilient material for maintaining said rst and second contact end portions in alignment with said opening in the tap conductor support member and with said seat portion in the run conductor support member, respectively, and for permitting ffexible relative movement of said contact between the given faces of said support members;

and selectively operable force applying means for urging the given faces of said support members toward each other, whereby conductors seated in the seat portions of said tap conductor support member and said run conductor support member will be clamped respectively, against the first and second contact end portions of said contact member.

2. An electrical connector in accordance with claim 1, wherein the said tap conductor seat portion comprises a bore extending into said tap conductor support member which is adapted to telescopically receive the end of a tap conductor.

3. An electrical connector in accordance with claim 2 wherein said run conductor seat portion includes a plurality of ridges disposed transversely to the longitudinal axis of a seated run conductor for engaging and deforming the outer surface thereof as a retentionenhancing means.

4. An electrical connector in accordance with claim 2 wherein said double ended contact member further includes a plurality of substantially linear cutting edges, disposed in radially spaced apart relationship about an axis line extending between the given faces of said support members, for penetrating through an insulating cover on a run conductor disposed in said run conductor seat portion.

5. The electrical connector of claim 4 wherein said flexible support means comprises a body of resilient insulating material having said contact member extending therethrough from one side to the other, and being adapted for resiliently deforming around the said second contact end portion to seal the area of engagement between said run conductor and said second end portion against external exposure.

-6. An electrical connector in accordance with claim 2 `further including a tap conductor receiving plug telesco-pically inserted between said bore and said tap conductor:

said tap conductor receiving plug comprising;

a substantially hollow tubular body element having a closed end portion, a first axial portion having a given internal diameter for receiving the end of a tap conductor, a second axial portion having an enlarged internal diameter for receiving the insulating jacket of a tap conductor, and cap means across the end of said second axial portion for forming a seal between said body element and the outermost surface of an inserted tap conductor, and means on said body element for permitting the said first end of said contact member to electrically engage the bare end of an inserted tap conductor through the body member.

7. The electrical connector of claim 6 wherein said tap conductor receiving plug is formed of dielectric material and said means for permitting electrical engagement of an inserted tap conductor comprises a transverse aperture through said first axial portion.

8. The electrical connector of claim 6 wherein the said bore in said tap conductor support member is open yat both ends, and wherein the .body element of said receiving plug projects beyond both ends of said bore:

said receiving plug further including means on the said first axial portion adjacent the said closed end thereof for permitting visual determination that the bare end of a tap conductor is disposed within said first `axial portion.

9. An electrical connector in accordance with claim 1 wherein said iiexible support means comprises a body of resilient insulating material having said Contact member mounted thereto.

10. An electrical connector in accordance with claim 1 wherein said selectively operable force applying means comprises a threaded bolt coupling said tap conductor support member to said run conductor support member.

11. The electrical connector of claim 10 further including spring coupling means interposed between said threaded bolt and at least one of said support members for resiliently biasing said support members toward one another.

6 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,395,373 2/1946 Johnson 339-97 5 2,396,119 3/1946 ONeil 339--97 2,709,246 5/ 1955 Abbott 339--100 2,771,591 11/1956 Vordtriede 339-265 MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner.

10 JOSEPH H. MCGLYNN, Examiner'. 

1. AN ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR FOR COUPLING A TAP CONDUCTOR TO A RUN CONDUCTOR, COMPRISING: A TAP CONDUCTOR SUPPORT MEMBER HAVING A TAP CONDUCTOR SEAT PORTION THEREIN, A GIVEN FACE THEREON, AND AN OPENING EXTENDING FROM SAID GIVEN FACE INTO SAID TAP CONDUCTOR SEAT PORTION; A RUN CONDUCTOR SUPPORT MEMBER HAVING A GIVEN FACE THEREON DISPOSED SUBSTANTIALLY OPPOSITE THE GIVEN FACE OF SAID TAP CONDUCTOR SUPPORT MEMBER, THE GIVEN FACE OF SAID RUN CONDUCTOR SUPPORT MEMBER HAVING A CONDUCTOR SEAT PORTION THEREON; A DOUBLE ENDED CONTACT MEMBER OF ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE MATERIAL DISPOSED BETWEEN THE GIVEN FACES OF SAID SUPPORT MEMBERS, SAID CONTACT MEMBER HAVING A FIRST CONTACT END PORTION ADAPTED TO PASS THROUGH THE OPENING IN SAID TAP CONDUCTOR SUPPORT MEMBER SO AS TO ENGAGE A CONDUCTOR IN SAID TAP CONDUCTOR SEAT PORTION, AND FURTHER HAVING A SECOND CONTACT END PORTION ADAPTED TO ELECTRICALLY ENGAGE THE CONDUCTIVE SURFACE OF A CONDUCTOR DISPOSED IN THE SEAT PORTION OF SAID RUN CONDUCTOR SUPPORT MEMBER; SUPPORT MEANS OF RESILIENT MATERIAL FOR MAINTAINING SAID FIRST AND SECOND CONTACT END PORTIONS IN ALIGNMENT WITH SAID OPENING IN THE TAP CONDUCTOR SUPPORT MEMBER AND WITH SAID SEAT PORTION IN THE RUN CONDUCTOR SUPPORT MEMBER, RESPECTIVELY, AND FOR PERMITTING FLEXIBLE RELATIVE MOVEMENT OF SAID CONTACT BETWEEN THE GIVEN FACES OF SAID SUPPORT MEMBERS; AND SELECTIVELY OPERABLE FORCE APPLYING MEANS FOR URGING THE GIVEN FACES OF SAID SUPPORT MEMBERS TOWARD EACH OTHER, WHEREBY CONDUCTORS SEATED IN THE SEAT PORTIONS OF SAID TAP CONDUCTOR SUPPORT MEMBER AND SAID RUN CONDUCTOR SUPPORT MEMBER WILL BE CLAMPED RESPECTIVELY, AGAINST THE FIRST AND SECOND CONTACT END PORTIONS OF SAID CONTACT MEMBER. 